


What witchcraft is this?

by BarPurple



Series: Spin Me a Yarn [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Belle is a saint, F/M, Knitting, Magic, Ravelry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-23
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-06-04 01:34:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6635650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>K1 W&T is a magic that even the Dark One has trouble with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What witchcraft is this?

Mister Gold was in a foul mood and the whole of Storybrooke knew it. On Monday he’d raised the rent at the convent, resulting in a literal flaming row with Mother Superior. Regina had been called up on to quench the burning shrubbery; it was only Robin’s steadying hand on her arm that prevented her from responding to Gold’s snide parting remark. Tuesday saw Ashley weeping on Ruby’s shoulder in the diner after Gold’s cutting remarks about her baby. By Thursday Leroy led an angry mob into the sheriff’s station;

“We’re sick of him sister. He’s served half the town with eviction notices, and put the rents up for the rest. What are you going to do about it?”

Emma was tired. She’d spent most of last night stopping Killian from running Gold through. Gold’s act of petulance towards Killian, who swore up and down that he’d only nodded hello to the bloody Crocodile, could have been funny, except Killian was very protective of his ship and hadn’t taken kindly to her being magically repainted bright pink. In the face of the surly mob that were only a torch and pitch fork away from storming the pawnshop Emma did the only thing she could; she went to talk to Belle.

“Don’t ask me!” Belle slammed the stack of books she’d been carrying onto the table with force, “I have no idea what’s gotten into him. I’ve told him if he doesn’t sort himself out soon he’ll be sleeping in the garden with his bloody sheep not just on the couch.”

Emma had backed off carefully at that point. If things had reached the point where Gold was spending his nights on the couch then Belle must have tried everything else. Emma did the sensible thing and retreated to the diner.

“Things not going well with Gold?”

Charming pushed his plate of onion rings towards his stressed out daughter.

“No. I mean nothing he’s doing is high on the evil scale, not his evil scale anyway.”

Charming snorted into his cup of coffee, “I don’t think Killian sees it that way. Have you tried talking to Gold yet?”

Emma dropped her head into her hands with a groan, “I did, but he just ranted about understanding dark magic across more realms than I could count and how irate he was that this witchcraft was eluding him.”

Charming’s eyes widened as he blew out a slow breath, “That doesn’t sound good.”

 

Belle came home that night to candle light, a home cooked meal, and a very apologetic husband. As she toed off her heels she asked, “What’s all this?”

The Dark One cleared his throat and took off his apron, “Belle, I am sorry. I have been a total idiot this week.”

It sounded like he was reading from a script and the look on Belle’s face said that much. Rumple’s fingers twisted together as he continued; “You’re going to make me say this aren’t you?”

Belle folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow, she wasn’t sure what her husband needed to confess, but she wasn’t going to let him off when he’d admitted that he needed to say something. Rumple shifted on his feet and grit his teeth together, a moment passed, but then he started speaking;

“I have been in a temper this week and I have taken it out on other people, but I admitted I needed help and I made a call,” Rum cleared his throat and took a cautious step towards Belle, “It is fixed now, and I will take back the eviction papers and reduce the rents I raised…”

Belle raised her eyebrows at him and did her best not to react to the pained look on his face as he spat out, “Even the one on the convent,” Rumple took a hesitant step towards her, “I will do anything that you say as long as it makes you happy after the week I’ve put you through.”

Belle stared at her shoes for a very long moment. She’d decided to forgive her husband the moment she’d stepped through the door, but she didn’t have to tell him that, not after the week she’d had to endure both at home and in the town. There was only one thing she wanted to know.

“What started this?”

Rumple flushed beetroot red and scrubbed his hand through his hair, “Please don’t hate me for this Belle. I couldn’t turn a short row heel.”

Belle didn’t have to express the confusion she felt, Rum saw it on her face and began babbling;

“It’s a sock thing. And Charming was showing off so much with all of the socks he’s knitted for Neal that I had to try it. And I couldn’t get it right, I swear Belle there’s some sort of witchcraft going on with those wraps and turns, but if I’d asked Charming for help he would have crowed it over me for years and I couldn’t have that, and I know that shouldn’t have been a problem, but you’ve seen how smug he can be and everything got away from me and I lost my temper, but Bostonbobbins helped out and honestly Belle I swear that woman has magic because she is a sorcerer with yarn and we should take her to the Enchanted Forest because her talent is wasted here and you’re giving me that look again…”

By this point Belle had raise a hand and was biting hard on her cheeks. Once Rumple had come to a stop in his babbling she took a deep breath and asked; “So this was all about socks?”

Rumple nodded quickly and Belle continued; “You got it fixed now?”

“Yes, I can turn a short row heel now and I’ve got a pair of socks to prove it. I’ve even paid Bostonbobbins back for her help.”

“How?”

“Erm, her grandkids live in Thailand and they somehow have won the lottery, so they can come over for a visit.”

Belle bit back her laughter and pulled a hard look onto her face, “And how are you going to apologise to the town?”

The Dark One shuffled his feet and took a slow breath, “Everyone gets a free month on the rent,” Rumple glanced at his wife and winced at her frown on her face, “And I’ll drop the rent for everyone, even for the fairies.”

At this point Belle broke down into giggles and rushed at her husband; she wrapped her arms around him tightly and peppered his neck with kisses.

“You are a silly man Rumplestiltskin.”

“I know. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

“You have to fix the Jolly Roger.”

Rumple buried his face in his wife’s neck, “Do I have to do it right now?”

Belle sighed happily, “I suppose it can wait until tomorrow, Husband.”

**Author's Note:**

> Once upon a time my best friend watched me turning the heel on a sock and declared it to be 'some sort of witchcraft' and that kinda turn into this fic. If you are not a knitter, trust me, Rumple's frustration at not being able to master this strange and magical ability is fully justified. I would have had happily turned people into frogs while I was learning how to turn a short row heel.


End file.
